Love Will Find a Way
by Kinkajou Karata
Summary: What would have happened if Crowfeather and Leafpool had never met Midnight on the moorlands after their fateful decision to elope together? Leafpool loves Crowfeather with all her heart, but she has her concerns.
1. Prologue: Follow Your Heart

Hey, guys~! ^_^ It's good to be back on FF. I've missed it. Hopefully I can get in the groove this time and keep being active this time around. I hope you all enjoy, and please review! I wanna hear your opinions~!

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><p><strong>Prologue: Follow Your Heart<strong>

_"Crowfeather!"_

The brown tabby purred happily as the dark gray tomcat spun around, his deep blue eyes wide with surprise. The tabby she-cat splashed across the stream toward him and pressed her nose to his shoulder.

"I've thought about what you said," she mewed. "About leaving."

"You have?"

"I've been so scared, Crowfeather - scared about leaving my Clan and my kin. But I went to the Moonpool, and Spottedleaf came to speak to me." Seeing Crowfeather look puzzled, the tabby added, "She was ThunderClan's medicine cat once, but now she walks with StarClan. She often visits me in dreams."

Crowfeather still seemed bewildered; the tabby was not sure if he believed her, or if he thought that her encounters with Spottedleaf were nothing more than dreams.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"She told me to follow my heart."

Crowfeather's eyes widened. "You're a medicine cat, Leafpool. Isn't that where your heart has led you?"

"Once it was." Leafpool's heart thumped as she realized that Crowfeather thought she was about to reject him. "But ThunderClan has a medicine cat. Cinderpelt is young and strong, and she'll serve the Clans for seasons yet. And Brightheart will help out for now. Cinderpelt can train another apprentice when I've gone."

Crowfeather drew in a painful breath. "When you've gone? Leafpool, does that mean...?"

"Yes. I'll come with you."

Leafpool could hardly bear to look at the blaze of happiness in Crowfeather's eyes. Did he really love her this much? Her belly twisted with fear. She couldn't let him down now. She had to go through with this.

"I've been scared too," Crowfeather admitted. "I don't want to leave my Clan or my friends. I even hoped that I might be leader one day. But more than that, I don't want to lose you, Leafpool. And there's no way for us to be together if we stay here."

Leafpool pressed her side against his, the warmth of his pelt comforting her as she stared into a future that was suddenly dark and terrifying. "Where should we go?"

"Not back toward the forest," Crowfeather decided. "We'd end up in the mountains, or places where there are too many Twolegs. There are hills beyond WindClan where we can look for a place to live. I'll take care of you, Leafpool." For a moment his gaze darkened and drifted away from her, filled with memories. "I promise I'll take care of you," he repeated more strongly. "Are you ready?"

"You mean, we're leaving now?" Leafpool gasped.

"Don't you think we should?"

_But I want to say good-bye!_ Leafpool almost wailed out loud, but she knew that it would be impossible. Saying good-bye would cause anger and pain and confusion, and maybe their Clans would prevent them from going at all.

"You're right." She tried to sound brave and optimistic. "I'm ready."

Crowfeather touched his nose to the top of her head. "Thank you. I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure you won't regret this."

They turned their backs on the lake and padded side by side up the hill. Ahead of them, the rising sun filled the sky with streaks of flame as they left their Clans and everything they had ever known.

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><p>This comes directly from Twilight, the fifth book of the Warriors series. So yeah, none of this is my writing. XD I just used this to get everyone up to speed as to where I am in the story so no one is confused when I stepped outside of cannon. ^.^ Thank you so much for reading so far~! I'm very grateful! :3 *gives readers a cookie*<p> 


	2. Chapter 1: There Will Be Four

Hello, all! ^_^ I meant to post the first real chapter a few days back, but Fanfiction refuses to keep me logged in on my computer, so I have to rely on school computers to upload. . Four reviews already~! I'm so happy~! 3 Thank you all for taking the time to read!

**Tallstar07-** Thank you very much! :3 However, this is a word-for-word excerpt of Twilight, and none of it's my writing at all. So don't get your expectations too high for me. x3

**Golden Feather Kid-** Thank you! :D Your criticism was quite constructive, and now I know what I need to improve on. 3 Thanks again for reading!

**VitanixKopa-** Hai! I love Lion King. 3 I played the soundtrack repeatedly while writing this. x3 By any chance is the Vitani in your name related to the Vitani in Lion King 2~? :3

**Scarstorm2000-** Really? :D If you have it up somewhere, I'd love to read it. 3 I actually started writing this in the fall of 2009 and finished it the year before last, and before then I'd never seen the idea having been used before. But there are so many talented Warriors writers out there that I'd be shocked if it hadn't been used before. XD Thank you for reading~!

Reviews make Kinky happy. 3 Here's the first chapter that I actually write, enjoy and critique~!

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><p><strong>1. There Will Be Four<strong>

_Leafpool woke to the aroma of_ freshly killed vole wafting under her nose. She blinked her amber eyes and yawned broadly, and the vole's scent hit the roof of her mouth and made it water.

"Good morning, my lovely," Crowfeather purred, licking her shoulder tenderly. "I just caught that vole. Eat up. No, really, I'll catch something for myself in a moment," he added as Leafpool opened her jaws to protest. "There's prey crawling everywhere, and they act like they've never seen a cat before." Crowfeather bounded away to fulfill his promise after he saw Leafpool bend over the vole.

Sighing in good-humored defeat, Leafpool took a few mouthfuls of the plump creature. A moon had passed since the two of them had left the Clans, and every step they took the prey seemed to grow fatter and fatter.

_They're not the only ones,_ thought Leafpool glumly, looking at her belly, which was beginning to swell noticeably. Crowfeather's tender care of her made her wonder if he had guessed her secret. _But how?_ Leafpool had just realized herself, and she was a medicine cat for StarClan's sake!

She _had been_ a medicine cat.

Leafpool laid her head on her paws as fresh images of her loved ones popped up in her mind. Her mentor, her mother and father, her sister... Had Cinderpelt found a new apprentice yet? Was Firestar still sending search parties out after her? Have they attacked WindClan? She shuddered, hating to think of a war between the neighboring Clans because of Crowfeather and her. And did Squirrelflight ever get over Leafpool's disappearance? She had Ashfur now, so maybe it would be easier for her to forget... _That's too easy,_ thought Leafpool, _trading a sister for a mate._

"What's wrong?" Crowfeather was suddenly beside Leafpool, scaring the latter half to death.

"Great StarClan, Crowfeather!" gasped Leafpool. "You startled me!"

"I'm sorry," meowed the gray-black tom, rasping his tongue gently over her ear. "But is something on your mind. You can share it with me if you want."

Leafpool sighed. "I'm just thinking... about ThunderClan, and Cinderpelt, Firestar, Sandstorm, Squirrelflight..." Leafpool's voice broke.

Crowfeather's blue eyes were sympathetic. "I know. I miss my mother too. We were really close."

Leafpool stared helplessly up at him with wide amber eyes. "Are you sure I'm worth it?"

"I've never been more sure." Crowfeather dragged over a rabbit that he had just caught. "I'm not that hungry. Would you like to share?"

Leafpool was about to refuse - she was not hungry either - but she needed to feed the tiny mouths inside her, so she said, "Sure."

Crowfeather took a tiny bite of the rabbit before pushing it to Leafpool with a paw. Leafpool's heart ached for him when she realized he was using a Tribe custom. _He lost so much from helping the Tribe,_ she thought, taking a bite of the rabbit and passing it back.

They had scarcely finished their meal when a rank scent reached them. Crowfeather leaped, his fur bristling and eyes huge with alarm. "Dogs!" he yelped, nudging Leafpool to her feet swiftly. Leafpool's ears flattened in fear as she spotted the dogs, three huge brutes. They were racing along the moors as fast as any Clan cat, their tongues lolling lazily as they chased after their prey.

Crowfeather nudged Leafpool along again. "Come on!" Leafpool forced herself into a run. Despite the kits in her belly, she could still run quite fast. Crowfeather was running right beside her. Leafpool knew that he was much faster and could easily run on ahead, but she also knew that Crowfeather would never let any harm come to her or the unborn kits that he was oblivious to. They would live or die together.

Naturally, and just to Leafpool's luck, her pregnancy seemed to put a halter on her stamina, so before too many monster-lengths, breaths came in desperate heaves.

"ThunderClan cats," mewed Crowfeather good-naturedly.

But all the good spirits ended when Crowfeather was suddenly not beside Leafpool anymore. The tabby skidded to a halt and whirled around. Crowfeather's paw was caught in a mouse hole!

She scrambled back to help her trapped mate. The mouse hole swallowed the tom's front leg halfway, and the more he wriggled, the deeper he became stuck.

The three dogs ran faster and barked louder, their victims' halt making them overeager.

"Leafpool, run!" hissed Crowfeather, still struggling to free himself.

"No!" mewed Leafpool desperately. She clawed the earth around Crowfeather's leg in an attempt to free him. "I need you... _we_ need you!"

"We?" Crowfeather blinked. Leafpool kept digging as if he hadn't spoken. If she lost Crowfeather... How could she have risked everything to run away with him, just for him to die? She did not think she would survive the loss. And if she did, where would she go? She could never go back to the Clans; what Clan would accept a pregnant medicine cat? She could circle around and go back to the old forest... Ravenpaw and Barley at the old barn would let her and her kits stay. But she would have to go through the mountains first. _Oh StarClan, help me!_

That was when Leafpool's guardian angel arrived.

A tawny streak shot like lightning from nowhere and barreled into the biggest dog's side. The dog let out a startled yelp and tumbled down the slope. A shape Leafpool recognized as a tawny cat leaped down after it.

"Quick! Run!" hissed a voice from a nearby bush. Leafpool craned her neck to see a pair of brilliant green eyes peering out at her.

As much as Leafpool wanted to turn tail and flee - not just to protect herself but the tiny lives inside her - Leafpool knew she couldn't. "Not without my mate."

"Moss! Get her out of here!" yowled the tawny cat. A dog clamped down on the cat's tail. The tom snarled and fell upon them once more.

"Will he be all right?" fretted Leafpool.

"Never mind that. Let's get your mate out of here." A beautiful gray queen slipped from out of the bush and helped Leafpool dig Crowfeather's paw out.

"Who are you?" asked Crowfeather a little rudely, flattening his ears at the she-cat.

"My name is Moss. Try pulling your paw out now," the she-cat meowed, apparently unshaken by the tomcat's aggression.

Crowfeather tugged his paw. The earth around it gave way. He was free!

Leafpool purred happily, but she then stopped when she noticed the dark tom run toward the three dogs and the tawny cat. "Be careful!" she yowled.

Crowfeather didn't answer her.

"Come on, we need to get you out of harm's way," meowed Moss.

Leafpool's claws sank into the earth, refusing to move unless Crowfeather's paw steps were alongside hers.

"They'll be fine. Your mate seems tough enough, and my Sparrow has seen off enough dogs to fill a Twoleg nest with. Now come on! Your mate will feel better if he doesn't have to worry over you."

Leafpool nodded, her scent acrid with fear. "Okay."

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><p>Moss led Leafpool to an abandoned Twoleg barn where she said her family lived. Leafpool was at first reluctant, but with Moss's reassurance, she slowly padded in.<p>

It was a very cozy place. Piles upon piles of hay dotted the space idly, and Leafpool noticed a higher loft a few tail-lengths above.

"We stay up in the high loft at night, and that's where I stayed when I kitted three moons ago. It's high enough so dogs can't get to us and low enough so my kits don't hurt themselves if they fall. Climb up this ladder to get up there." Moss pointed a paw at some odd object.

_Ladder?_ Leafpool thought, the odd word bouncing around in her head. All it looked like to her was two sticks as long as a tree branch stretching from the ground to the loft. Connecting to the two sticks were several smaller sticks no larger and wider than a cat's tail. It was certainly too precise to be anything other than a Twoleg object. Leafpool nervously placed a paw on the structure. It moved slightly but didn't break under her touch. She put all four paws on the first rung, and when it shook, she leaped backwards in surprise.

"You don't know a lot about Twoleg stuff, do you?" asked Moss in amusement.

Leafpool shook her head. "I was born in the forest. Twolegs usually mean trouble there."

Moss flicked her tail. "Twolegs mean trouble everywhere. But this place hasn't scented of Twolegs for many moons. Come on, it's okay. Climbing it won't harm your kits."

Leafpool bristled in alarm. "You can tell?"

"Of course I can. I've kitted before, you know," Moss purred.

Leafpool's eyes shadowed with worry. If Moss could tell, maybe Crowfeather could tell. Would he leave her because of her kits?

"You haven't told your mate yet, have you?" asked Moss, guessing the concern in her eyes.

Leafpool shook her head. "I don't know how to tell him. I'm afraid… I'm afraid he'll want to-" _go back to the Clans if he finds out,_ Leafpool finished silently.

"You're more than a mousebrain if you believe that," Moss meowed, sensing that Leafpool had left some words unsaid but didn't call her out on it. When Leafpool looked at her in surprise, the loner continued, "If your mate leaves you because of that, you really shouldn't be with him in the first place. A cat should always love you no matter what. If your mate is anything like my Sparrow, he'll be overjoyed to hear about it. How many do you think you have?"

Leafpool thought for a moment. "I think there will be four, but I'm not sure."

"I thought I was carrying just one, so it was kind of a shock to see three that day," Moss purred.

"How old are your kits? Could I see them?"

"They're three moons. And you can; you just have to climb that ladder."

Leafpool looked back up at the Twoleg thing and hesitantly placed a paw on the first rung. It was motionless, so she put another paw on it. The ladder wobbled slightly. "Will it break?" Leafpool asked Moss with a nervous look over her shoulder.

Moss shook her head. "No, I've used that ladder for a long time, even while I carried my own kits. It's safe."

Leafpool took a deep breath and leaped up on the second rung. Eventually, she got the hang of it and made it to the top in seconds flat.

Moss bounded up beside her. "See, it's not that hard!"

Leafpool purred at her. _If I'm going to be living away from the Clans now,_ she thought, _I must start getting used to these Twoleg things._

"Mother!" squealed a high-pitched voice from the other side of the loft. Leafpool jerked her head in surprise to see three little kits shooting toward them. The first kit rammed full force into Leafpool's right front leg and nearly caused her to overbalance. The little ball of fuzz looked up at her with the most brilliant green eyes Leafpool had ever seen. "Who are you?" he squeaked, fluffing his golden fur out in what he thought was a threatening gesture, which made Leafpool purr.

"My name is Leafpool," she chuckled.

"Leafpool?" one of his sisters pealed. "That's a weird name!"

"Otis! Stormy! Raindrop!" Moss meowed sharply. "I hope you aren't being rude?" she addressed the she-cat who had spoken up pointedly.

The kit lowered her head mutinously, but the golden tom was as lively as ever. "You smell funny!" he declared to Leafpool, who purred again at the tomkit's rude behavior.

"Otis! _What_ did I just tell you?"

"It's fine, Moss. He's quite the little warrior," commented Leafpool.

The tomkit, Otis, puffed his chest out so far that he toppled over.

"You mean he's a pawful of trouble!" corrected Moss, though the affection for her kits was too easy to see in her verdant eyes. "I still don't know how I can keep up with them. Speaking of trouble, I'd like to know which mousebrain wrecked all the nests back over there," she added to the three youngsters, flicking her gray tail over in the corner of the loft, where Leafpool could see a pile of moss lying pell-mell, strewed here and there.

All three kits looked at the other, and then they streaked off in the direction of the destruction, their tiny tails waving erratically.

"Great StarClan, if my kits turn out like Crowfeather, they'll make your kits look like good little ones," sighed Leafpool.

Moss flicked her ears like she didn't believe her. "How long until they're due?"

"About a moon."

"You might need to-"

A yowl interrupted Moss's statement.

"_Fox dung! I'm not going in any Twoleg place!"_

Leafpool breathed silent thanks to StarClan when she recognized that voice. Crowfeather!

"I'm telling you, the Twolegs are long gone. It's safe here." A tom that sounded around Leafpool's age spoke up this time.

"Crowfeather!" she called. "It's okay! I'm up here!" She padded over to the edge of the loft and peered down. Her mate and a tawny brown tom stood by the ladder. Leafpool felt that familiar thrill when she laid eyes on Crowfeather's smoky pelt, as though lightning had just arched down her spine. She saw his eyes glow when he spotted her, and that warmed her pelt.

"Did you have fun, Sparrow?" Moss meowed to the tawny cat casually, as though he had just gone on a hunt.

"Those mutts get easier to beat every time!" snorted the tom, Sparrow. "They're hardly fun anymore." There was a lighthearted gleam in his bright yellow eyes, and Leafpool took an instant liking to him.

"Well then, brave dogfighter, please come up," Moss meowed. "There are some introductions to be made."

Once Sparrow had successfully persuaded Crowfeather to climb the ladder ("You can tackle three dogs without a problem, but one ladder and you're as paranoid as a mouse," sighed Sparrow), Moss formally introduced her family.

"My name is Moss," she said, "and that furball there is Sparrow, my mate." The tawny-brown tom dipped his head.

"I'm Otis!" squeaked Moss's son, the sturdy golden tomkit.

"My name's Stormy!" piped up a dark gray tabby she-kit with dark blue eyes. "And that's Raindrop." She gestured with a tiny tail toward her sister, a beautiful light gray she-cat with very light, watery blue eyes.

Raindrop lowered her head and didn't speak.

"She's shy at first," commented Sparrow, "But she'll be a furball once she gets comfortable with you."

"I'm Leafpool," the tabby meowed.

"Crowfeather. Nice to meet you, but we had better get on," Crowfeather said curtly.

Moss's eyes widened in alarm. "You can't yet, Leafpool's ex-"

Leafpool stuck her tail in Moss's mouth.

"Moss was just telling me about a dog that wanders loose at night. We'd best wait until morning before we decide anything," Leafpool said quickly, hoping Crowfeather hadn't heard enough to become suspicious.

Crowfeather's tail bristled, but he didn't argue further, to Leafpool's relief.

Moss's eyes flooded with gratitude. "That's good; that dog is huge. I don't even think Sparrow could fight it off." Sparrow looked momentarily confused, but he didn't say anything aloud.

"Anyway," Moss purred, "I've lived in this barn since I was born. I met my Sparrow while I was hunting, and he came to live with me. Then I had my kits three moons ago."

"Are you kittypets?" Crowfeather asked, a glint in his eyes.

Sparrow snorted. "Honestly, do you think a housecat could fight off a dog?"

Leafpool found herself bristling before she could stop herself. "I know a couple of kittypets who can fight off and have fought off more dogs than you could ever imagine," she said tightly. "Bigger too. One of them is my father. Do you have a problem with kittypets, Sparrow?"

All the cats – and kits – gaped at the usually soft-spoken she-cat, especially Crowfeather.

"Oh I-I'm sorry," stammered Sparrow. "I just didn't-"

"It's okay," sighed Leafpool. "I'm sorry if I snapped, but I just... miss them. So much." Her voice broke.

Crowfeather pressed his pelt comfortingly against hers, and she felt reassured by his familiar warmth.

"Could you tell us what happened?" Moss asked softly, her eyes round with sympathy.

Leafpool and Crowfeather exchanged a glance. "It's a long story," meowed Crowfeather. "Our way of life is much different from a loner's."

"We've time to listen," replied Sparrow.

"Well, for many countless moons, there have been four Clans of warrior cats, ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and WindClan..."

And so, Leafpool and Crowfeather explained to the two loners (and their kits) the Clan life, about the three ancient Clans, TigerClan, LionClan, and LeopardClan, and about Clan customs, ending with Leafpool and Crowfeather's departure from the Clans.

"Sounds complicated," commented Sparrow, "but not necessarily stupid. It seems pretty smart to me. Safety in numbers."

"_I_ want to be a warrior!" pealed Otis, his tiny golden tail waving erratically.

"You have to be an apprentice first, mousebrain!" teased Stormy, nudging her brother in the shoulder.

Leafpool felt some sluggish thought in the back of her mind scuttle about like a beetle, but before she could snatch it up, it escaped her. "You wouldn't become an apprentice for another three moons," she told them.

"Can you teach us a fighting move?" chirped Stormy.

"I won't be the one to teach you anything, since I was a medicine cat." Leafpool glanced at Crowfeather. "But I'm sure Crowfeather can teach you something. He was a warrior."

Before Crowfeather could accept or deny Leafpool's suggestion, Otis and Stormy had crowded around him, their eyes bright and eager. The WindClan cat sighed and flicked his tail to the other side of loft. The two kits shot in the direction indicated, and Crowfeather followed, shooting a glance at Leafpool over his shoulder.

Once her mate was out of hearing range, Leafpool sighed. "I'm afraid he doesn't like kits," she mewed sadly.

Moss and Sparrow exchanged a glance. "When we were coming back, your mate there – Crowfeather was his name? Well, he spoke very highly of you," Sparrow meowed softly. "And your story proves how much he loves you. I haven't seen that kind of devotion in a long time."

"But he doesn't know I'm going to have kits, does he?" Leafpool pointed out, too depressed to want to be cheered up.

"Kits are the most wonderful thing that could happen to you."

Leafpool looked down in surprise at Raindrop. The quiet kit hadn't gone with Crowfeather to learn fighting moves, and she took in everything Leafpool had said with intelligent sky blue eyes.

"He'll love you still," Raindrop went on quietly. "He'll be happy about this. But I think you should tell him soon. Tonight. He won't be happy if you keep secrets from him."

Leafpool could only blink at the quiet little kit. Who would have thought that she was so wise?

"Thank you, Raindrop," Leafpool said slowly. "I'll try that."

The silver-gray kit brightened considerably.

The rest of the evening passed by in a blur. Otis and Stormy were demonstrating the moves they learned from Crowfeather. They weren't exactly top-class – in fact, they were far from it – but they showed good promise. They would be excellent warriors. Leafpool sighed at her foolish thought. _What am I kidding? I don't live in a Clan anymore. There's just Crowfeather and me._

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><p><strong>AN:**

I'm happy with how long this one turned out. ^_^ I tried to capture Leafpool and Crowfeather the best that I could, with Leaf being insecure but putting on a brace face for the rest of the world, and I always imagined that Crow doesn't like kids. XD But that may just be me and my little fantasies. :3

Sparrow and company are my original characters – I hope everyone likes them. :D Otis is my favorite because he's such a furball. 3

Reviews are lovely~! ^^ I'd love to know who my readers are, and any mistakes pointed out help me a great deal in the long run. Thank you so much for reading~!


	3. Chapter 2: Confession

**Pale-eye-** Thank you so much for reading~! :D And yes, CrowxLeaf was the BEST forbidden pairing, though I like GrayxSilver a lot too. :3 It was amazing until Crowfeather started being a jerkwad about everything. Dx So I'm gonna go back in time and make him wonderful again. 3

**Tallstar07-** Thankies, I'm glad you liked it~! 3 I'll do my best to update every day, but it mostly depends on how well my computer works for me. Dx It doesn't like Fanfiction very much. /3

I finally figured out how to use FF again! :'D The formatting is so different from what it was four years ago, so it took me some getting used to. But now that that's out of the way, le Chapter 2!

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Confession<strong>

"_For the last time, Leafpool, what_is it?" demanded Crowfeather. His voice was soft but firm, with traces of exasperation coloring his tone.

Leafpool hesitated. The moon was high in the sky as the two mates entered a small, private area with plenty of trees full low-hanging branches. If the dogs or some other threat happened to come around, they could both claw their way up into safety.

"You said earlier that there's a dog loose around here at night. What if he pops up?" Crowfeather asked, his azure eyes gleaming with concern and fear – not for himself, but for Leafpool.

"There's no dog, Crowfeather," admitted Leafpool. While Crowfeather was still looking at her in surprise, she added, "I only said that so we wouldn't leave yet. I know you want to go, but... we _can't_. Not yet."

Crowfeather's eyes glowed with his love for her. "Leafpool, if you didn't want to leave, you just had to say so. I'll do whatever you need me to do. I love you more than life itself. Can't you see that?"

Leafpool's throat suddenly closed up as though a stubborn piece of fresh-kill was wedged in there. "I know that," she choked, "but..."

Crowfeather bristled in alarm. "Leafpool, what's wrong? You're not planning on going back to the lake, are you?"

"Of course not. But there's something... I have to tell you."

"And that would be?"

Leafpool swallowed hard. This was it.

"I'm... I'm expecting kits."

There was a long moment's pause. Leafpool was staring at the ground, unable to meet Crowfeather's gaze.

"Leafpool..."

Leafpool lifted her gaze slowly. Crowfeather's blue eyes were gleaming with intense love and happiness. "Great StarClan, Leafpool, this is wonderful! Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was afraid you would want to head back to the lake," mumbled Leafpool. "Or that… maybe you wouldn't like me that much."

Crowfeather pressed his pelt against hers, the sound of his purr and the scent of his pelt making Leafpool forget every trouble that she had ever been faced with. "Oh, Leafpool," Crowfeather whispered. "Don't you realize just how much I love you? I would fight all of StarClan for you. I would take the sun from the sky for you. I would live my whole life as a kittypet as long as you were by my side every step of the way. I can't stand living life without you anymore. You are the air I breathe, the earth I stand upon, the fresh-kill that sustains me, the water I drink. You are the strength in my limbs, the energy in my paws, the power in my claws, the love in my heart. Your friends are my friends. Your enemies are my enemies. Every moment I spend with you, Leafpool, is very precious to me. That means the most to me. And these kits are the most wonderful things that could ever have happened to us. Do you understand?"

Leafpool buried her nose in Crowfeather's shoulder, relishing in his warm scent and his soft voice. "Yes," she mewed in a muffled voice.

"If you don't want to go back to the lake, then we won't. If we go back, I won't be able to raise them as their father." Crowfeather's eyes hardened. "I can't accept that. I'll go wherever you want to go, okay?"

Leafpool nodded without removing her muzzle from his pelt.

"When are they due? How many are there? Do you know?" There was a tinge of excitement to Crowfeather's voice, and it made Leafpool purr to think that he could still act like an excitable apprentice.

"I think there's going to be four. And they should be due in a moon."

"That's how long we'll be staying at the barn then," Crowfeather decided firmly. "At least until the kits can travel."

For some reason, this statement made Leafpool feel very upset. Of course, she would miss Moss and Sparrow, and Otis, Stormy, and Raindrop. But she snapped her mind to now, instead of four moons from now. "Okay."

"Let's go back to the barn. You don't need to get too cold."

Crowfeather and Leafpool, the forbidden lovers who had come so far, turned and headed back to their temporary refuge, tails twined and fur brushing.

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><p>Fluff. XD I'm a sucker for it. This was more or less just a filler. I apologize for the shortness, but more stuff will happen next chapter, I promise. Until then, review please~! :3 And thank you so much for reading!<p> 


	4. Chapter 3: Surprise Visitors

**VitanixKopa-** Thank you~! ^.^ I was feeling exceptionally sappy when I was writing it – I suppose it shows.

**Tallstar07-** Thank you very much! ^^

**Pale-eye-** I really like him when he's prickly on the outside but oh so soft and gooey on the inside. 3 He's just the tsundere type that I love.

**Bloodyravenheart13-** CrowxLeaf is definitely one of the best, especially as far as the forbidden ones went. =3 I was sad to see it end. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope I can hold your interest! XD

I love my reviewers~! 3 Cookies to you all! And to you all, a new chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Surprise Visitors<strong>

_The sun had risen several times_ since that night. Leafpool was now among the "huge." She felt too tired and weak to do much else than lie around, eating and sleeping in the warm sun. Her kits would be due any day.

Crowfeather was being quite the worrisome mate. He rarely left Leafpool's side, only to make dirt and for the occasional hunt. Leafpool had explained to him how to deliver the kits and what herbs to use, and this eased his anxiety a considerable amount.

Moss and Sparrow were overjoyed that the two Clan cats were staying. Moss stayed with Leafpool as well. The queen would be a good rock of experience on the day Leafpool kitted. Sparrow spent most of his time hunting, trying to feed six cats as well as himself. The hunting was good around the barn; just like at Ravenpaw and Barley's; it was teeming with mice. Sparrow kept a pile of fresh-kill in one corner of the loft. Leafpool was struck by nostalgia as she looked at it for it reminded her of the fresh-kill pile back in ThunderClan.

Otis and Stormy were being kits, surprisingly enough. Sparrow nearly strangled the two of them when they decided how much fun it would be to bounce on Leafpool's much larger belly. Their innocence amused Leafpool greatly. ("You shouldn't eat so many mice, Leafpool," Otis squeaked seriously in a matter-of-fact tone.)

Raindrop, being the more mature of the kits, stayed by Leafpool's side with Crowfeather and Moss. She was also much less naive, so she was assigned to preparing the herbs for Leafpool.

Soon, however, Leafpool became restless. She pleaded with Crowfeather until he reluctantly let her go out, and he let her on the condition that he and Moss came with her. Sparrow stayed at the barn with the kits, and the other three cats departed for the forest.

"Fox dung!" snapped Crowfeather. The squirrel he had been stalking shot up a tree and chittered furiously at him once it was high up among the branches. The WindClan cat looked loathingly at the twig, now snapped in two halves, that had given him away.

"It's okay," purred Leafpool. "You'll get better in time."

"I still can't get used to forests," sighed Crowfeather. A faraway look entered his eyes. "I miss the moors."

Leafpool felt alarm stab at her. Crowfeather apparently noticed the look of fear that appeared on her face, for he added, "But I'm not going back to _those_ moors."

Moss waved her gray tail, silencing Leafpool and Crowfeather immediately. Leafpool spotted her quarry - a pheasant the size of a large tomcat was only a few yards away. Leafpool was amazed that the huge bird hadn't spotted them already.

Crowfeather sprang for it.

The pheasant made a shrill alarm call before dashing away into the undergrowth.

Moss rolled her green eyes and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Tomcats!" and ran after him. Leafpool half-trotted, half-waddled in their wake. Great StarClan, she felt huge! _I wish these darn kits would be born so I didn't feel like a bloated badger!_

Once Leafpool had finally caught up with them, Crowfeather had the neck of the pheasant in his jaws and was looking characteristically pleased with himself.

"That's what happens when you try to run from a WindClan warrior," he commented when Leafpool came up. Moss rolled her eyes.

"Um... excuse me?" a very soft voice spoke up.

Moss pricked her ears; Crowfeather dropped the pheasant and tensed, his teeth bared and sharp, while Leafpool stood rooted to the spot. That voice... she had heard it somewhere before, maybe in a dream...

"Relax, Cody. I recognize one of them," a harder-sounding voice meowed, and out of the undergrowth stepped Sasha.

The tawny-colored rogue was leaner than the last time Leafpool had seen her, just before the Clans left on the Great Journey. Now she could count all of Sasha's ribs.

The cat beside Sasha, the one who had spoken up earlier, was a soft-furred tabby with round blue eyes. The last time Leafpool had seen this cat was when she left the makeshift ThunderClan camp to return to her Twolegs.

"Cody!" gasped Leafpool, stumbling forward awkwardly to greet her old friend.

"Leafpaw?" Cody blinked. "Is that you, Leafpaw?"

"I _was_ Leafpaw, I'm Leaf_pool_ now. Oh, Cody, I missed you!" Leafpool plunged her nose in her kittypet friend's shoulder.

"I missed you too," purred Cody. "I was so scared for you and your Clan. I heard all those awful sounds coming from the forest... How is Birchkit?"

Leafpool remembered the bond that Cody had formed to Ferncloud's son while they were still in the forest. "He got along well. His new name is Birchpaw."

"That's good."

"Who are you?" Crowfeather asked Cody pointedly, a hint of his old hostility in his voice.

"This is my friend, Cody. Cody, this is my mate, Crowfeather. And that's Moss."

Cody dipped her head. "Nice to meet you." She then seemed to notice Leafpool's swollen belly. "Oh! You're expecting a litter!" she squeaked in surprise. "Congratulations! When are they due?"

"Any day now." Leafpool turned to Sasha, who seemingly felt ignored. "How are you, Sasha?"

The tawny rogue grimaced. "Not as good as I used to be. I've had to leave the Twolegplace by your old forest. Too many Twolegs. They're still trapping cats left and right."

Leafpool shuddered, remembering how she had been caught in a Twoleg cage herself.

"That's when I saw your friend here," Sasha gestured to Cody, "being chased by a dog. She didn't seem like she knew what she was doing."

"The brute ambushed me in an alleyway," growled Cody.

Leafpool twitched her whiskers, pretending to know what an alleyway was. "What happened to your Twolegs, Cody?"

Her eyes were blue pools of sadness as she explained, "My Twolegs abandoned me. I don't know what happened to them, and I don't know where else to go. I'm glad Sasha found me, or that dog might have killed me."

Leafpool's eyes widened. "Oh, Cody, I'm sorry..." She couldn't really sympathize with the kittypet because of the Twoleg factor, but she knew firsthand what it was like to lose one's home.

"You can stay with us if you like," offered Moss. "There are plenty of mice in our barn."

"Thanks," Cody dipped her head, "but I don't know how to catch mice."

Crowfeather's whiskers twitched, and Leafpool glared at him.

"I can teach you how. It's not that hard, really." Moss's green eyes were full of sympathy.

It was then that Leafpool felt an intense pain in her belly, stronger than what she usually felt. It felt as though sharp claws had just sliced her open from her chest to her hindquarters, and she dropped like a stone. A piercing, agonized yowl erupted from her mouth.

"The kits are coming!" gasped Sasha.

"Fetch Raindrop and the herbs!" yowled Crowfeather to Moss, who hesitated.

"I've kitted before," Sasha told her. "Go on."

There was a loud leaf-crackle as Moss dashed off.

"Crowfeather..." moaned Leafpool, another agonizing jolt in her belly making her fur stand on end.

"I'm here," murmured Crowfeather. His scent smelled strange, too sweet, not at all like a WindClan cat's...

This was the last coherent thought Leafpool had for a while. She yowled again, releasing pure agony into the air. _Oh, StarClan, please take me soon!_

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><p>I'm particularly fond of cliffhangers myself. x3 Please review, guys, they brighten my day~!<p> 


	5. Chapter 4: The Kits Are Coming!

I'm so sorry this has taken so long, guys. Dx Life's been kinda hectic. I've pretty much been busy every weekened, and classwork has started piling up, and today I just failed my ACT *joy*. I may nhot be able to update for a while, seeing as I have a magazine article and very elongated History paper to work on, so yeah. ^^;; Hopefully I can tide all of you over until things clear up.

**Tallstar07-** Thankies~! ^.^ I'm a fan of the cliffie. But I hate when I'm reading and I can't find out what happens next, so I usually sympathize with the the reader. Though at the same time, I do enjoy torturing people with the cliffie. x3

**Darkmoon-** Thank you for reading~! ^^ I love the kits, and I hope you do too~!

**Pale-eye-** I'm humbled that you would read my story that early, and on a screen that small. =3 I'm usually asleep by then. XD Thank you for reading~!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: The Kits Are Coming!<strong>

_Crowfeather stood rooted to the spot_ by his paws, acrid fear making his fur stand on end. He couldn't even remember what Leafpool had told him to do. _StarClan, StarClan, StarClan...!_

A sweet scent wreathed the air around him. It smelled of wildflowers and leaves and honey, and of ThunderClan. A voice spoke clearly in his ears, and it sounded like water sliding over smooth pebbles.

_Crowfeather, you musn't panic._

"Who are you?" he asked. Sasha and Cody glanced at him in surprise, but he paid them no mind.

_My name is Spottedleaf. I'm going to help you, so listen to what I have to say._

"O-Okay," he whispered. Again, the two she-cats gave him odd looks, but again, Crowfeather ignored them. "Is she okay?"

_She's doing fine,_ Spottedleaf soothed. _Place a paw on Leafpool's flank, and tell me what you feel._

Crowfeather did so, and he felt his beloved's flank tense and roll beneath his paw.

_Another spasm is coming. Her muscles are working to push the kits out,_ she explained. _In a moment she's going to have to help by pushing too. Tell her to push._

"Push, Leafpool!" gasped Crowfeather, trembling from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail.

Leafpool trembled, and she pushed with all her might.

_The first one is coming,_Spottedleaf told him.

Crowfeather could see it.

Leafpool pushed again, and a new scent filled the air, warm, musky, and fresh. A damp bundle fell onto moss.

Crowfeather stared at it for what seemed the shortest moment and the longest forever. _His first child._

_Open the sac so it can breathe,_ordered Spottedleaf.

"How?" asked Crowfeather, bewildered.

_Nip it. Just be careful not to bite the kit._

_What advice,_thought Crowfeather. Nervously, he nipped at the delicate membrane. It split between his teeth and tore open, and the kit tumbled out, squeaking and struggling. "It's breathing!" he whispered, trembling with excitement.

Leafpool gasped aloud, another yowl bubbling in her throat.

"The next one's coming," announced Cody. Sasha dragged the first kit out of the way and began to lick it slowly from tail base to neck.

_Do you see what Sasha is doing?_ Spottedleaf said. _She's warming it and helping it start breathing._

The kit gasped in its first breath of air.

Leafpool moaned, and a second kit was born. Cody nipped open the sac as Crowfeather had done earlier, dragged it gingerly away, and washed it as Sasha had done earlier.

"Is that all?" Crowfeather asked. Leafpool had stilled, her breathing less ragged and more steady.

_No. There's another coming._

Leafpool screamed as though punctuating Spottedleaf's statement.

A cat streaked into the clearing. Crowfeather bristled, but he relaxed when he recognized the cat as Sparrow.

"How is she?" he asked breathlessly.

"She's already had two kits, and she's having another," Crowfeather explained rapidly. "Where's Raindrop and the herbs?"

Sparrow shrugged. "I don't know. Moss just told me to run here as fast as I could."

_It's okay. Leafpool doesn't require herbs._

"We don't need the herbs," Crowfeather told him, shaking his head.

Leafpool yowled again, and a third bundle plopped out. Sparrow took the initiative and nipped open the sac and licked the kit; he had definitely been present when Moss had her kits.

_There's another one._

"Another one!" gasped Crowfeather. Sasha, Cody, and Sparrow looked up at him.

"She's having four?" Cody squeaked.

"Apparently so!" snapped Crowfeather, and Leafpool groaned again.

"I can't do it, Crowfeather!" she gasped.

"Of course you can," soothed Crowfeather.

_Of course you can, Leafpool,_echoed Spottedleaf.

Leafpool heard the StarClan cat's voice. "Spottedleaf?"

_Yes, dear little one. I am always here._

Leafpool yowled once more, and the fourth and final kit came into the world. Leafpool turned and released it from the sac. She purred loudly, washing it gingerly.

_Crowfeather, Leafpool, you have three toms and a she-kit,_announced Spottedleaf.

"Three toms and a she-kit," Crowfeather echoed. Cody, Sasha, and Sparrow mewed words of congratulation as Crowfeather's four tiny children scrabbled toward the warmth of their mother. The sound of their suckling made Crowfeather's heart throbbed with a feeling he had only felt when looking at Leafpool, and a certain other she-cat...

_Feathertail is very proud of you, Crowfeather,_ murmured Spottedleaf. _As am I. Farewell._The scent of Spottedleaf slowly faded from around him, and it was replaced by the musky smell of the forest, and of new life.

"They're perfect..." Crowfeather meowed softly. The warm glow of love radiated from Leafpool's amber eyes as they settled on Crowfeather, then on their four kits.

"The she-cat has a beautiful coat," she commented. "It's just a few shades darker than yours."

"We could name her Hollykit," suggested Crowfeather. "And that gray tabby tom's fur is colored like the feathers of a blue jay. He could be Jaykit."

"Those names sound good. I'd like to name the biggest tom Lionkit, and the tom that looks just like you could be Breezekit," decided Leafpool.

"Hollykit, Jaykit, Lionkit, and Breezekit," murmured Crowfeather. "They're so beautiful. Just like you," he added.

An excited squeal erupted from the bushes. The tiny forms of Otis and Stormy exploded from the foliage, more slowly followed by Moss and Raindrop, whose jaw was closed around a pile of leaves that Crowfeather recognized to be borage.

"Have they been born yet?" squeaked Otis.

"What are their names? How many of them are there?" Stormy asked, her dark blue eyes wide.

"Hush, kits!" scolded Moss. "Leafpool is very tired right now."

"Yes, I've had four kits," yawned Leafpool. "Hollykit, Jaykit, Lionkit, and Breezekit."

"Why is 'kit' on the end of their names?" asked Stormy.

"Sounds weird," Otis agreed.

"Otis! Stormy! If you don't shut your mouths, I'm taking you back to the barn!" snapped Moss. The two kits were silenced.

"They're so precious..." Cody mewed, her eyes happy and sad at the same time. Crowfeather wondered why.

"Your kits are probably still alive and happy," meowed Leafpool sympathetically. She coughed a couple of times and laid her head down beside Jaykit, who was suckling furiously. Lionkit and Breezekit were trying to nurse at the exact same spot without success, and Hollykit was trying the stunt of lying on top of Leafpool's belly and suckling upside down, which resulted in her tumbling down and landing on her back with a disgruntled squeak.

"When will they open their eyes?" asked Crowfeather, looking up from his kits.

"Mine opened theirs when they were two days old," supplied Moss.

"So did mine," Sasha added.

"Mine had theirs opened the day after they were born. That was the last day I saw them," sighed Cody. "My Twolegs took them."

Crowfeather blinked but didn't comment.

The sun was starting to set. Sasha noticed this and commented that they should be moving Leafpool and the kits back to the barn.

"Surely they're too young to be moved?" Cody protested.

"Usually we wouldn't, but it'll be too cold out here tonight for them to stay," explained the rogue. "If we take it careful and easy, they'll be fine."

"Can I carry a kit?" pealed Otis.

Sparrow snorted. "Please. You can't even hold onto your whiskers, let alone a kit."

Stormy giggled. Otis glared at her.

"Can you walk?" Crowfeather addressed Leafpool.

"Of course I can," she scoffed. "What do you think I am, some rickety old queen?"

Crowfeather chuckled.

"Cun ah gi' dese o't o' m' mou'?" Raindrop's voice was muffled by the borage in her mouth.

Leafpool mrrowed with laughter. "Yes, I'll take them." She took the leaves from the gray kit and ate them, wincing from the bitter taste.

"What were those for?" mewed Otis.

"Borage helps a queen's milk come," Raindrop told him in such a matter-of-fact tone that Crowfeather had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

"I'll take a kit, Cody can take another, and Crowfeather will take the third, and Sasha can take the last one," Moss decided.

"Actually, I'll carry a kit," meowed Leafpool. "Crowfeather will probably need to keep me from toppling over."

Moss dipped her head. "Very well. Sparrow, you take the lead, Otis, Stormy, Raindrop, you stay with him, _and I mean it."_

Sasha spoke up. "There'll need to be a cat in the back whose not carrying a kit, in case something comes up from behind us. Crowfeather, can you take a kit?"

"Of course."

Leafpool struggled to her feet; the kits tumbled from her belly and all started to squeal angrily. "They're going to get all bossy, just like you," Crowfeather teased his mate. Leafpool snorted and picked up Jaykit by his tiny scruff. He wailed aloud, his tiny gray limbs flailing.

Moss took Hollykit. The black she-kit was unusually silent; she only squeaked once, and then she went completely still.

Cody took a gentle but firm hold of Lionkit, which left Breezekit to be carried by Crowfeather.

With Leafpool leaning against Crowfeather, the six cats and seven kits made their slow way back to Sparrow's barn. Once a fox wandered up on them, but one ferocious snarl from Sasha and Sparrow sent it in the other direction.

At last, when the moon was high in the sky, the cats made it to the barn.

But there was a problem.

"How are we going to get the kits up the ladder?" wondered Cody.

Moss frowned. "Maybe if we-"

"Go slow?" suggested Otis.

Moss blinked. "That's a wonderful idea."

"You think like a warrior," praised Crowfeather. The golden kit beamed proudly.

"I'm a warrior!" he boasted to Stormy. "Crowfeather said so!"

"Okay, warriors, climb on up," meowed Sparrow with an amused gleam in his flaxen eyes. Otis and Stormy bounded right up, but Raindrop hesitated.

"Won't you need help?" she asked, eyes wide.

"We'll be fine," Leafpool assured her. "You and your brother and sister need to be up there so we can pass the kits to you."

Raindrop brightened. "Okay!" The gray kit clambered over the rungs with silken grace.

"All right, how are we going to do this?" asked Sasha.

"I'll go up too," decided Sparrow. He climbed up the ladder.

"I'll go first," mewed Cody. Gripping Lionkit so he wouldn't be dropped, she put two paws on the first rung, then her back paws, then two paws in the second rung, then up with her hind paws... With slow care, she made it to the top without bumping Lionkit once. She waved her tail at the top, signaling that the next cat could start their ascent.

That cat was Moss. She was a bit quicker than Cody, and Hollykit didn't hit anything at all on the way up.

Crowfeather glanced at Leafpool. The queen was still exhausted after her kitting, and walking the whole way back to the barn with Jaykit in her jaws had tired her out.

"I'll take Breezekit up," he meowed. "Then I'll come back down for Jaykit, and you can go up on your own."

Leafpool's eyes softened. "Yes, that would be best."

Purring, Crowfeather began to make his way up the ladder with patience that he very rarely had. Once he was at the top, he deposited Breezekit amongst his siblings. He purred again. Things were going well.

Then his optimism shattered.

"Oh no..." Cody breathed.

"What?" Sparrow asked; Cody pointed at the barn entrance with her tail, and the tawny rogue bristled.

Crowfeather followed his gaze and his heart sank to the tip of his tail.

_Dogs!_

Three of them, huge, ugly brutes. With icy water trickling down his spine, Crowfeather recognized the three dogs that had pursued them a moon before.

"Leafpool!" Crowfeather yowled. Several things happened at once.

Leafpool whirled around, Jaykit still swinging in her jaws.

Sasha and Sparrow leaped from the loft, their claws outstretched as they landed in the soft hay below.

Moss jerked her three kits backwards, away from the edge of the loft, and gathered all six kits in the corner, standing protectively over them.

Cody stared in wide-eyed horror at the dogs as they made their way towards their prey: Leafpool.

Crowfeather felt something rise from within him, a warrior like feeling of rage and fear and hatred, the ferocity of the ancient Clan cats coursing through his blood. Everything in the barn faded away except for five things: the three dogs, Jaykit, and Leafpool.

"Stay back!" he yowled to the terror-struck Cody before launching himself down the loft.

Sasha and Sparrow hurled themselves at the dogs; the two tawny cats distracted them for a few moments.

Crowfeather landed beside Leafpool.

"Take Jaykit!" gasped Leafpool around the tiny kit's scruff.

Crowfeather felt torn. "No, I can't leave you down here!"

"Well, you're not leaving _him!"_ snarled Leafpool. "Now _go!"_

Crowfeather gave up and took the kit from Leafpool. He hadn't missed the sheer terror in her beautiful eyes. "I won't be long!" Crowfeather mewed before he leaped up on the ladder. There was no time to be slow and careful. Jaykit squealed every time he hit a ladder rung. Crowfeather felt for the kit, but he was sure Jaykit would rather have a bruised tail than one that was disconnected permanently from the rest of his body.

Crowfeather made it up in record time. He laid Jaykit down beside Cody and rushed back to the edge of the loft.

Sasha and Sparrow were doing their best to hold off the dogs, but one had managed to evade them and sneak toward Leafpool...

_"Leafpool, GO!"_screamed Crowfeather.

Leafpool leaped, managing to reach the fifth rung.

The dog reared up on its hind legs, its slavering jaws only a couple of mouse-lengths from the tip of her tail. It leaped up, its muzzle brushing her hind leg.

Leafpool panicked, scrabbling upwards. Her paws suddenly missed the rung and she began to fall into empty air.

"Leafpool!" cried Crowfeather, craning his neck forward in an attempt to catch her. She gripped the side of the ladder with her front paws and managed to keep herself from falling. The dog howled.

_Okay, that dog has to go,_thought Crowfeather, and he launched himself down at the hound. He sliced at its ear, distracting it momentarily from Leafpool.

But not for long. Angry, it cuffed Crowfeather with a paw and sent the smaller being flying into the wall. His head connected with the wall with a resounding crack.

He thought he heard some cat call his name, but he wasn't sure. His vision swam as though he were looking through water. He felt blackness crowd in on the edges of his perception. He needed to take a good long nap...

_Crowfeather!_a voice he knew so painfully well snapped him out of his reverie. What he saw made his heart stop cold.

Leafpool was clinging to the edge of the loft, her forepaws barely hanging on and her foot paws churning helplessly. The dog waited below, and a howl of victory filled the room.

Before Crowfeather's very eyes, Leafpool lost her grip and fell. Moss and Cody skidded to a halt at the side of the loft, their eyes wide with horror.

Had Leafpool's pelt just changed color? To Crowfeather's eyes, her pelt looked a very light gray. And the dog below looked so like a golden-furred lion without a mane...

_Feathertail..._

_"NOT AGAIN!"_screamed Crowfeather. He leaped forward...

... and caught Leafpool by the scruff.

Her sudden weight caused him to lose a couple of tail-lengths, but Crowfeather still managed to land on the ladder well above the dog's reach. Leafpool scrabbled desperately, managing to grip a rung with all four paws.

Moss and Cody were gaping at him once he had managed to get them both up.

"How did you do that?" gasped Cody.

"Because I love her," Crowfeather answered simply. _And because I loved Feathertail..._

Leafpool lay on the floor, trembling, for just a second; as soon as she could stand, she was among her kits, nosing them and licking them anxiously.

"Are they okay?" Crowfeather asked in concern.

Leafpool purred. "They're shocked, but they're fine."

Crowfeather felt his fur lay flat, and he pressed himself against his mate, purring loudly. Leafpool trembled, twining her tail with his. Crowfeather was suddenly aware of the fact that Leafpool had only just kitted and mewed, "Maybe you should lay down. I'm sure the kits are hungry."

Leafpool seemed asleep on her paws, but she shook her head in distress, her amber eyes shadowed with worry. "But Sasha and Sparrow are still down there, and now there's three dogs..."

"Don't you worry," Moss reassured her. The gray she-cat turned to Cody. "Make sure my kits stay put." When the former kittypet nodded, Moss flung herself off the loft with a harsh battle cry.

Crowfeather tensed, ready to aid his newfound friends in their fight against the dogs, and yet he was unwilling to leave Leafpool.

The tawny shape of Sasha suddenly leaped up onto the loft. One of her ears was badly torn, and blood ran down the side of her head. There was a chunk of fur missing from her shoulder, but other than that, she was relatively unharmed.

"Two of the dogs are already gone," she reported, twitching her torn ear and making scarlet drops fleck the floor. "Moss and Sparrow are working on the last one." Her attention flicked to Leafpool, then to the kits. "I think they're hungry," she commented. "You can rest. Those two know what they're doing."

Leafpool settled down in some hay and gathered her kits to her. "But your ear..."

Sasha shrugged. "I'll be fine. You worry about your kits. You can dress it later if you want to. Those kits haven't had any milk since they were kitted."

As if to agree, Lionkit let out a loud peal.

Leafpool purred, and the four blind kits scrabbled and stumbled their way to her belly, latching on and kneading their tiny paws in delight.

It wasn't long before Moss and Sparrow had joined them. Moss was completely unhurt, as she had joined the battle at the end, but Sparrow was limping. He bravely tried to shrug it off, but Moss forced him to lay down. Leafpool instructed little Raindrop on how to clean and dress her father's wound, and she had done the task as though she were a full-fledged medicine cat herself. Leafpool would love to teach her...

_Teach her..._

A sudden realization exploded in Leafpool's head so violently that she jerked, nearly throwing the feeding kits off.

"I know what to do," she said calmly.

Eight pairs of eyes settled on her.

"What?" squeaked Otis.

"My kits need a Clan," Leafpool meowed.

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><p>Another cliffie, I guess. XD I pretty much ripped the kitting process from one of the previous Warriors books, though I don't recall which it was. Thoughts? Comments? =3 Reviews are always nice~!<p> 


	6. Chapter 5: Birth of the Clan

I'm a terrible human being. A terrible. Human. Being. Dx I'M SO SORRY, GUYS! Gomen nasai! Je suis desolee! I'm so sorry! Dx I've been so busy and lazy this summer. Terrible~ But I'm back now, and I'mma try to be better! Thank you all for being so patient. 3

**Pale-eye**- I LOVE CHEESE TOO! 8D Cheese sticks, mac and cheese, garlic cheese bread, cheez-its, they're all amazing! Even sliced cheese. 3 My mother says it's not good for me, but I dun care. 3 I've heard that it's hard to type with a DSi. Dx Condolences for your Touch. /3

**Tallstar07**- Thank you for reading~! 8D I'm so grateful to have such dedication. 333

**Nightwing of ThunderClan**- Thank you so much~! ^_^ I'm glad you enjoyed it!

**AKToad**- Now you're making me blush! */* Thank you! I can never be as good as the Erins, but I've sort of adopted their writing style a bit from reading all their stories. XD As for Breezekit, he's still gonna be a bit of a grump (kitties can't always change their spots), but I'm gonna have him be a bit more pleasant in his own unique way. 3 But the cliffies will go on! D

**K-nine02**- Thank you so much~! ^.^ I'm flattered~

**Kkkkkkllk**- *gives you a cookie for astuteness* =3

**VitanixKopa**- You're very welcome. =3 Thank you for reading~!

**I'm Just Me Rae Lynn**- Thank you so much for taking an interest~! ^.^ I do happen to have a weak spot for CrowxLeaf, and there can never be enough stories for them in my opinion. x3

**LeafpoolandCrowfeather4ever**- This chapter's all about the new Clan~ =3 I'll do my best to get ahold of you, and if you're subscribed, then you'll get an email~ Thank you for having such a keen interest in my writing, I appreciate it so much~! 3

xxxSilverstormxxx- Thank you for the Favourite~! ^.^ As for BarnClan... I should've thought of that. x3 Thanks again for reading~!

I love you all so much. *^* I'm eternally grateful for your patience~! 3

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 5: Birth of the Clan<span>**

All the cats in the room gaped at her, especially Crowfeather. "Make a Clan?" he gasped.

"Can you do that?" asked Sasha dubiously.

"Surely it's against some kind of rule," agreed Sparrow.

"Can _I_be an apprentice?" squealed Otis.

"Where would this Clan live?"

"How would you find enough food?"

"_I_wanna be an apprentice!" Stormy yowled.

"There have always been just four Clans..."

"I-"

"Otis, shut up."

"But Moth-!"

_"Otis!"_

"Yes, Mother."

"Crowfeather, I don't want my kits to live as rogues," Leafpool said firmly. "I'm sure if StarClan was against it, Spottedleaf wouldn't have helped us during my kitting."

The gray-black tomcat meowed, "I suppose."

"Once my kits can travel, I'll find a place for my Clan. There will be plenty of food, water, and herbs where I go."

"What if you don't find this place?" asked Sasha skeptically.

"I won't stop until I do," promised Leafpool. "I can't go back to the Clans by the lake. StarClan are still watching us. In a Clan, you are more protected than you are on your own. Who is with me?"

_"Me!"_pealed Otis, quickly to be echoed by Stormy.

"You need to stick with your parents," advised Leafpool, their enthusiasm inspiring a glow of pleasure beneath her pelt.

Immediately the two kits rounded on Moss and Sparrow. "We _have_to go with Leafpool!"

"It's not that easy," murmured Moss, a torn look in her brilliant green gaze.

"I'll miss the barn," commented Sparrow. "But from what I've heard of the Clans from the two of you, then it seems like a good lifestyle. We'll have a meaning, instead of being just rogues, just surviving."

Moss gave her mate a very long look, and then she turned to face Leafpool. "We're in."

_"YES!"_yowled Otis and Stormy. Raindrop didn't add her voice, but her beautiful azure eyes were shining with happiness.

"You know what I'm going to do," declared Cody. "I was a kittypet all my life. I've known nothing but an easy life. I know I wouldn't survive the hard life Sasha has lived. But that's not the only reason. I want to make something more of my life. I think I'd be heartbroken if I had to say goodbye to you again, Leafpool." The former kittypet's blue eyes shined with warmth as she said, "I'll join too."

"Sasha?" Leafpool asked hesitantly. The tawny rogue was a very proud, independent cat; Leafpool was absolutely sure what she would say.

"I started my life as a kittypet," Sasha admitted. "But fate decided I would become a rogue, so that is what I became. I was very close to joining ShadowClan, several moons before you were born, Leafpool. Had I taken ShadowClan scent, things would have been very different.

"However, I remained a rogue because of Tigerstar. I loved him, but I didn't trust him. Ever since then, I have lived alone. I am very capable of living alone."

Leafpool dipped her head, feeling disappointed. They could have used a strong, experienced cat like Sasha.

"But."

Leafpool pricked her ears in shock.

"Change is a fickle thing. And I think it's time I changed too. I will join your Clan," meowed Sasha, her soft yellow eyes glowing.

'Astonished' was too weak a word to describe was Leafpool was feeling. 'Utterly stupefied' was a much better term. She had never expected the proud rogue to take on Clan scent.

There was one last cat who had not pledged himself to the new Clan.

"Crowfeather?" Leafpool murmured, her heart pounding. She was so afraid he would refuse. Maybe he had just stayed with her because he was a good cat, this would be the perfect chance to leave without losing face...

"Leafpool." Crowfeather's voice was very low but understandable. "You have known your whole life what my decision is."

Happiness blossomed in Leafpool's heart when she realized that his decision, too, was yes. She looked down in pride at her four kits. They were Clan cats, as their parents before them had been born.

"To our Clan!" yowled Sparrow.

"To our Clan!" echoed the eight other cats.

"What's our name?" asked little Raindrop, her blue eyes round and curious.

Leafpool and her mate exchanged a glance. They hadn't thought of that.

"BloodClan?" suggested the ever-violent Otis.

Both of the previous Clan cats flinched.

"Uh, no."

"What Clans were the two of you from?" Sasha asked, gesturing towards Leafpool and Crowfeather.

"ThunderClan and WindClan," meowed Crowfeather, sounding a little puzzled. "Why?"

Sasha's eyes narrowed to blue slits. "StormClan."

"StormClan?" echoed Leafpool, mystified.

"StormClan," Sasha repeated. "A time in which both thunder and wind is present."

"I like it!" chirped Stormy.

"I think BloodClan is loads better," grumbled Otis mutinously.

"StormClan it is," said Leafpool briskly. "Nice thinking, Sasha."

The former rogue dipped her tawny head, a hint of pleasure deep in her ice-colored eyes.

StormClan was born.

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><p>So how is StormClan? =3 Review please, my lovelies. 3 I apologize again and give forth all my undying love to you! =D<p> 


	7. Chapter 6: StormClan

**OceanBlueSeaEyes**- I'll do my best~! 3 Thanks for reading!

**Otterhope**- Thank you so much! =D I'll make sure to let you know~!

**VitanixKopa**- I'm very fond of Otis myself. x3 I base him off of a few guys I know, all rolled up into one. Only a whole lot cuter and fuzzier. XD Thank you for reading, and I'm glad you like StormClan! =D

**Pale-eye**- Thanks! ^^ I loved BloodClan, so I like to make as many allusions to them as possible. XD I hope your dad has had luck with your iPod! =D I know I'd collapse without mine! XD

**Muffins Taste Nice**- I do have the urge to use BarnClan somewhere now. XD And now I have the urge to eat a muffin. x3 Arigato gozaimasu!

**Wolf's Willow**- Thank you very much for reading! ^_^ I'll try my best!

**I'm Just Me Rae Lynn**- Thanks! =3 I'm fond of the name also. I appreciate that you're reading!

**Pepper203**- Thanks for reading! =D I won't give up on the story, I promise~!

**BrightWatcher**- Thankies! ^^ I really enjoyed coming up with the name, I had to ruminate for a while before I finally decided it was the one.

**Butterfly That Flies at Dawn**- XD It's definitely an idea~! I might look into that.

**Seiren Cross**- Thank you for reading! =D And I'll definitely keep posting! By the way... Is your name a reference to Vampire Knight, by any chance? =3 It's been so long since I've seen it that I can't recall if there's a character named Seiren or not.

**Phoenix'sKeeper**- Thank you so much! *huggles teh stars* I really wanted to use Breezekit in the story since I love his character, so I just had to improvise a little. x3 And GO CROW/LEAF!

**Leopardfang of Moonclan**- Thanks so much for reading! =D

Thank you all for still reading! ='D I appreciate each and every one of you~! Sorry that my update is so late, I totally had this squirreled away in my files and forgot to post it for an entire month. . So that's totally my bad, ya'll. I'll make it up to you somehow~! ^.^ Enjoy~!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: StormClan<strong>

_Two moons had passed since Leafpool's _kitting, and the birth of StormClan. Lionkit, Hollykit, Jaykit, and Breezekit were all healthy and happy. It was the young Clan's sorrow to see that Jaykit would never see them. He was born blind. Leafpool wondered if StarClan was punishing her because of her love for Crowfeather, but she had no intention of asking, as Spottedleaf hadn't spoken to her in two moons.

The personalities of her four kits became evident very quickly. Lionkit was the warrior, the fighter, the boaster. He acted noble and courageous, and he had a very strong sense of justice. Hollykit was the thinker, and she always looked before she leaped and anticipated every consequence for every action she took. Jaykit was the surly one, and he had a very sharp tongue, just like his aunt. Despite his blindness, his senses of smell and hearing were astounding. Breezekit was exactly like his father: sour-tongued, quick-tempered, and completely loyal to those dear to him.

Otis, Stormy, and Raindrop had recently reached their sixth moon. Otis and Stormy took an intense liking to brave Lionkit, smart Hollykit, and determined Breezekit. Raindrop took more of an interest in Jaykit. She didn't treat him like everyone else. She didn't sugarcoat things or help him excessively. Because of this and his yearning to be independent, Jaykit was fast friends with Raindrop.

Sasha, Crowfeather, and Sparrow were training Cody lucklessly. The kittypet had no fighting instinct whatsoever. Leafpool couldn't see the plucky tabby ever becoming a warrior. However, Cody was incredibly loyal to the Clan. Leafpool would never throw her out because she couldn't fight. The issue was something to be on Leafpool's mind for a while.

Crowfeather and Leafpool were sharing tongues one lazy evening. The smaller kits were tussling, with the three older kits watching in amusement and calling out advice.

"Bite her tail, Lionkit!"

"Show your brother whose smartest, Hollykit!"

"Jaykit, you can find Lionkit easy, because he's the one who fell asleep where everyone makes their dirt!" crowed Raindrop.

"I did no-" Lionkit's protest ended in a sharp squeak as Jaykit bit down hard on his tail.

"Don't you think Raindrop would be a good medicine cat?" Leafpool asked Crowfeather softly, so the kits wouldn't hear.

Crowfeather's ears pricked in surprise, telling Leafpool that he apparently hadn't given much thought to StormClan's hierarchy.

"Won't you want to be medicine cat?" he asked.

"Of course. But I'll need an apprentice," she mewed. "Raindrop has the smarts and the attitude."

"As does Cody," considered Crowfeather. "I can tell right now she won't be any good as a warrior."

"We can't throw her out!" Leafpool protested hotly.

Crowfeather blinked. "Of course not. But she can't exactly be an elder, now can she?"

Leafpool frowned. "No. She could stay in the nursery."

"She isn't having kits," blinked Crowfeather.

Leafpool rolled her eyes. "We had a permanent queen back in ThunderClan. Daisy, that cream-colored she-cat from the Horseplace. She couldn't be a warrior, so she stayed in the nursery. Who knows? Maybe Cody will find a mate someday."

"Lionkit or Breezekit, maybe," joked Crowfeather. Leafpool knew how realistic that was; if StormClan didn't pick up any more rogues or loners, their three tomkits were the only toms Cody could really mate with.

"I think we should figure stuff out today," decided Leafpool firmly. "Who do you think our leader will be? You?" she suggested.

Crowfeather wrinkled his nose. "I don't plan on it."

Leafpool was tempted to ask why, but she didn't. Instead, she leaped atop the highest pile of hay she could find and yowled, "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Haypile for a Clan meeting!"

All the cats aside from Crowfeather looked mystified, but they soon grouped beneath the pile dubbed the Haypile and sat, looking curious.

"This is StormClan's very first meeting," meowed Leafpool, "and I think we should straighten some things out." She then proceeded to describe all the classes: kit, apprentice, warrior, queen, elder, medicine cat, deputy, and leader.

"I think Hollykit could be our first elder," recommended Lionkit with a straight face.

"You'll be an elder by the time I get done with you," hissed Hollykit with sharp green eyes.

Jaykit backed up Hollykit. "If she's an elder, Lionkit, then you're an elder too."

"Anyway," Leafpool swept on, "I think it's high time we all had our names."

"But we do have our names," piped up Stormy, her eyes wide.

"She means warrior names, mousebrain," meowed Otis, nudging his sister with broad shoulders.

"May Sparrow, Moss, Cody, and Sasha step forward."

The four grown cats did as they were bid. Leafpool leaped from the Haypile. Standing a few paw steps in front of them, she lifted her head to the ceiling of the bran. Above where she stood, a hole yawned in the barn's roof, and a determined shaft of sunlight arched down and set their pelts alight.

"I, Leafpool, medicine cat and mentor to StormClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these four cats. They have the courage and loyalty and faith required of all Clan cats, and they have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code. I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." She looked at each of them, staring into eyes of yellow, green, and blue. "Sparrow, Moss, Sasha, and Cody, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

The cats hesitated, and Crowfeather whispered to them, "Say, 'I do.'"

"I do," replied Sparrow steadily.

"I do," Moss echoed her mate.

"I do," Sasha mewed.

"I do," answered Cody.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Sparrow, from this moment you will be known as Sparrowheart. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StormClan." Leafpool stepped forward and rested her muzzle on Sparrowheart's head.

"Lick her shoulder," whispered Crowfeather. Sparrowheart did so, and he stepped back, his yellow eyes shining.

"Moss, from this moment you will be known as Mossflower. StarClan honors your loyalty and your wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StormClan."

As Mossflower stepped back, she added to Leafpool, "I'm proud to be a warrior, but for the next few moons, I will be a queen." She went to stand beside Sparrowheart, her eyes bright and proud. Leafpool purred. Mossflower was expecting kits!

"Sasha, from this moment you will be known as Tawnyblaze. StarClan honors your courage and your ferocity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StormClan."

The former rogue looked almost dazed as she stooped to lick Leafpool's shoulder, and she quickly joined Sparrowheart and Mossflower.

At last Leafpool came to Cody. The kittypet was trembling with fear and excitement as Leafpool meowed, "Cody, from this moment, you will be known as Fawnstep. StarClan honors your loyalty and thoughtfulness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Stor-"

"Wait."

Leafpool blinked as Fawnstep mewed, "I'm very proud to be a StormClan cat. I would never wish to leave, but... I don't think I can be a warrior."

"You could be a queen," suggested Leafpool.

"But I'm not expecting kits," mewed Fawnstep, confused.

"You don't have to be. You can keep Mossflower company, and you can help care for the Clan's kits. It's a very important job, and I know you can do it," meowed Leafpool.

Fawnstep paused for a long moment, her blue eyes narrow slits. "Of course. I would love to do that."

"It's settled then. We welcome you as a permanent queen of StormClan." Leafpool lay her head on her old friend's, and Fawnstep rasped her tongue over her shoulder.

"Can we be apprentices? Can we be apprentices?" chirped Otis and Stormy in perfect unison.

Leafpool sighed, but she still mewed, "Otis, Stormy, and Raindrop have reached their sixth moon. It is time they were made apprentices. Otis, from this moment, you will be known as Sunpaw. Crowfeather, you are ready for your first apprentice. You will be Sunpaw's mentor."

Surprised pleasure glowed in Crowfeather's azure eyes as Sunpaw scampered toward him.

"Pass on all the skills you learned from Mud- er, from WindClan to this young apprentice." Leafpool avoided saying Mudclaw's name. The tom had been Crowfeather's mentor, but Mudclaw had been a traitor to WindClan as well.

"It's my pleasure," meowed Crowfeather, not even acknowledging Leafpool's faux pas. Sunpaw bounced excitedly by his mentor's side.

"Stormy, from this moment, you will be known as Stormpaw. Tawnyblaze, you are ready for your first apprentice. You have had an especially hard rogue's life, but from your suffering, you have become very strong. Teach Stormpaw all your know, and pass on your skills to her."

"I'll do my best," meowed Tawnyblaze, her blue eyes unusually soft on Stormpaw as the she-cat trotted to her side.

"Raindrop, from this moment you will be known as Rainpaw. It has come to my attention that you possess all the necessary skills to become medicine cat. Would you like to become my apprentice?" asked Leafpool. She hoped that the beautiful young she-cat would agree; she had the temperament and patience of a medicine cat.

Rainpaw's eyes were filled with regret, but no uncertainty. "Leafpool, I'm honored, but I don't think I should be medicine cat."

Disappointment flooded over Leafpool. "Why is that?"

Rainpaw shrugged. "I have a choice."

"I don't follow," mewed Leafpool, deeply confused.

"I would love to be a medicine cat. But I know that there is a cat here who doesn't have the choice between warrior apprentice and medicine cat apprentice."

"Who is that?"

Rainpaw looked deep into Leafpool's eyes, her words steady and strong. "Jaykit."

There was a very tense, fragile silence. This kind of taciturnity happened often, whenever Jaykit's blindness came into conversation.

Jaykit was speechless. His gray tabby fur was bristling, and his sightless blue eyes were hot and radiating fury.

"Mouse dung to that!" he spat. "I'm not going to be a medicine cat, I'm going to be a warrior!"

Fawnstep and Mossflower exchanged a long, sad look that made Leafpool's heart ache. All the cats present knew Jaykit would never be a warrior. Except-

"Jaykit doesn't want to be a medicine cat!" meowed Lionkit.

"He wants to be a warrior," added Hollykit, standing protectively beside her brother.

"He can scent and hear better than any of us!" Breezekit hissed, his little black pelt starting to stand on end.

"But-" started Stormpaw.

"But nothing!" hissed Lionkit. "Let Jaykit do what he wants!"

"Jaykit."

Tawnyblaze left Stormpaw's side and went to stand before Jaykit. She had to bend down, but she put her face exceptionally close to the little tabby's. "Do you have courage?"

Jaykit blinked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Answer my question." Tawnyblaze's voice was quiet, but full of steely firmness.

"Yes," Jaykit mewed.

"Then you can adapt."

"What's adapt?" Jaykit was confused.

"Adapt... means to adjust to what destiny has in store for us."

Jaykit's blind eyes widened as he caught the meaning of what the former rogue was saying. "No! I'm not going to be a medicine cat!"

"Jaykit-"

"_No!_You can't change my mind! What do you know about being blind?"

Tawnyblaze took a very deep breath. "You're right. I'm not blind. I can see, as I have my whole life since I was born. But I have had to adjust to things you can't even imagine."

"Like I care. It doesn't make any difference to being blind," growled Jaykit rudely.

"Do you really think that?" Tawnyblaze's voice was angry. "I was blind, just not in the way you are."

"What do you mean?" demanded Jaykit.

"As you said before, you don't care. So why should I waste my time explaining things to a kit who has no courage?" Tawnyblaze said very quietly, and all the ice in her gaze was frozen over in her words.

"I have courage!" snapped Jaykit, his tail poofing up. "That's why I want to be a warrior!"

"Not just warriors own courage," hissed Tawnyblaze. "Do you think any less of Mossflower because she will soon bear kits? Do you think any less of Sunpaw and Stormpaw because they are only apprentices? What about Rainpaw? You know, she's trying to give you a choice because you _have_no other alternative. What about your mother? She's a medicine cat. Does that make her any less courageous than Sparrowheart or me? And Fawnstep. She realizes that the path of the warrior is not hers to trod. Is she a coward?"

"No-"

"Apparently so! What do you think courage is?"

"Courage..." Jaykit narrowed his eyes in thought, "is being able to ignore pain."

"Not ignore it, withstand it. Do you have any idea how much pain a queen feels when she's kitting? You never will. Mossflower is very courageous because she will stand through the pain to bring new life into the world. Fawnstep may soon experience the same."

"What would you know about kitting?" demanded Jaykit. "You never had kits!"

"I have too!" snapped Tawnyblaze. "And I'll never see them again!"

There was another silence, this one shocked and filled with surprise, just like Jaykit's round blue eyes.  
>"Tadpole is dead. And Hawkfrost and Mothwing are far away," murmured Tawnyblaze. "I... I'll never see them again."<p>

Jaykit was stiff-legged, his face frozen in a shocked expression. "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"It's fine." Tawnyblaze turned away from him, her eyes filled with pain and grief and long-sealed wounds scratched open and raw. "It's not your fault."

There was a little more silence, and then Leafpool awkwardly moved on. "So it is your wish to train as a warrior apprentice?" she asked Rainpaw.

There was a hint of regret in Rainpaw's eyes, but no hesitation. "Yes, it is."

"Then..." Leafpool frowned slightly. Tawnyblaze and Crowfeather, the most experienced of the cats there, were assigned to Sunpaw and Stormpaw. Leafpool would have loved to have taken Rainpaw, but the gray apprentice had a valid point; it was either the medicine den or the elders' den for Jaykit. Mossflower was a queen, as was Fawnstep, so the last cat able was Sparrowheart. Typically a cat would not be assigned their kin as a mentor, as the mentor may go too easy on them, but as there were no other alternatives...

"Sparrowheart, you are ready for an apprentice. You will take Rainpaw. Train her in all the skills you learned as a rogue. Normally, the mentor can not be the father or mother of the apprentice, but I think we can make an exception in this case."

Sparrowheart chuckled. "Don't worry, Leafpool, I won't go easy on this one," he meowed, shooting a glance at his daughter.

"With that being said," continued Leafpool, "I think it's time that we left the barn."

Shock filled the air.

"Leave the barn?" Sunpaw's voice was a high-pitched squeak.

"Mossflower is due to have her kits in two moons!" protested Sparrowheart. "We can't leave now."

"And the kits are too young to travel," added Fawnstep.

"Are you sure we should leave now?" Crowfeather mewed, a touch of uncertainty in his azure eyes.

Leafpool blinked in surprise. She had been bent on leaving the barn today, but Crowfeather's doubt made her stop and think.

"I say we should go," voiced Tawnyblaze unexpectedly. The former rogue's eyes were clear and bright, unshadowed by the breakdown earlier. "The longer we wait, the worse it could get."

"Leaf-bare will roll around soon," meowed Rainpaw. "We should go before it gets cold."

"Why should we leave before leaf-bare?" challenged Sparrowheart. "It would seem logical to stay until newleaf. Mossflower would have had her kits, and Leafpool's kits would be old enough to travel easily."

"But Mossflower's kits will be the same age these kits are," argued Tawnyblaze.

"If we leave during newleaf, it will be warm," mewed Fawnstep.

"But-" started Leafpool, when the soft scent of wildflowers wreathed itself around her.

_Leafpool..._ the voice of Spottedleaf ruffled the fur around her ears, _you can persuade them to come with you. Your faith in StarClan is as strong as ever._

But they don't believe in StarClan!

Leafpool protested.

_Anyone can learn,_ Spottedleaf insisted. _Tell them that within a moon's walk, there will be a barn, warm and cozy as a fox's den, even safer than this one. Two cats will wait for you, and they will have a story to tell you._

Is this true?

asked Leafpool.

_Would I lie to you?_

No,

Leafpool thought. Aloud she said, "We would only have to travel a moon. There's a barn waiting for us, warmer and safer than this one. Mossflower could have her kits there, and-"

"How do you know?" demanded Sparrowheart. "Have you been to this barn before? Do you know the way?"

"Um..." Leafpool wasn't exactly sure if Spottedleaf was speaking of Ravenpaw's barn or a different one. Either way, she didn't know where to start. _Spottedleaf, a little help, please?_

"I'm always here, little one..."

Spottedleaf's voice reverberated once, twice, thrice outloud...

The stars that shined their light through the hole in the roof of the barn moved. They slowly came together before the cats' stupefied eyes and came to settle on the barn loft in the form of four cats whose pelts glistened with starlight and the scents of night.

The tortoiseshell shape of Spottedleaf was first to step forward. "Greetings, cats of StormClan," she meowed, her voice as soft and beautiful as honey. "I am Spottedleaf, former medicine cat of ThunderClan, Leafpool's former Clan."

A blue-gray-pelted cat stepped forward next. Her blue eyes shone as she mewed, "I am Bluestar, former leader of ThunderClan."

"My name is Tallstar, formerly leader of WindClan, Crowfeather's previous Clan," meowed a black-and-white tom with a very long tail.

The last cat to step forward made Leafpool's head swim with too many emotions to contain at once. Relieved happiness, guilty anguish, shocked grief, and the love a cat can only give to her mentor.

"Cinderpelt!" she breathed as the gray she-cat limped forward on the only good three legs she possessed.

"Leafpool..." crooned the gray medicine cat. "You didn't think I would leave you, did you?"

Leafpool rushed forward, disregarding the fact that all the StormClan cats were watching, and pressed her nose into Cinderpelt's starry shoulder. "Oh, Cinderpelt, I missed you so much! I-"

That was when Leafpool realized that Cinderpelt was here.

"Wait, what-"

"Relax, Leafpool." Cinderpelt stroked the tabby with her star-filled tail. "I knew I was going to die, even before you fled the Clans."

"But-but, who is ThunderClan's medicine cat?" whimpered Leafpool. "Cinderpelt, you should have let me know! You should have made me stay!"

"Leafpool, calm down," purred Bluestar. "Brightheart is taking over for right now. She knows most of the herbs, and she will pass them on to the new medicine cat apprentice."

"Who is that?" asked Leafpool, trembling.

"Cinderkit, Sorreltail's daughter," mewed Spottedleaf. "When she becomes old enough, I will teach her everything Brightheart doesn't and can't know. ThunderClan is taken care of."

"But what happened?" demanded Leafpool. Crowfeather came to stand beside her, laying his tail reassuringly over her shoulders.

"We were attacked by badgers, not long after you left," mewed Cinderpelt. "Sootfur was killed, and I died when a badger broke into the nursery when I was delivering Sorreltail's kits."

"How is Squirrelflight?" asked Leafpool. "What about Firestar? And Sandstorm?"

"Everyone is fine," soothed Bluestar. "Stormfur and Brook are there helping. Squirrelflight is together with Brambleclaw again."

This surprised Leafpool. "What about Ashfur?"

Worry shadowed the StarClan cats' eyes for a heartbeat, but they didn't answer.

"It is good to know you are well," Tallstar addressed the former WindClan tom and his mate. "And your kits are very beautiful. WindClan will be overjoyed to hear you are safe."

"Not all of them," muttered Crowfeather. Leafpool knew not all of his Clanmates would care for the news of his safety. He did, after all, abandon the Clans for the ThunderClan medicine cat.

"The cats who count, then," meowed Tallstar. He turned to look at Leafpool. "Never forget that StarClan walks with you still. We may not always be there, but we will when we are needed. We will pass on the news to your Clanmates."

"Be brave!" meowed Bluestar. Both of the former leaders faded away, but the ThunderClan medicine cats remained for a few moments longer.

"Remember, little one," Spottedleaf mewed, winding around Leafpool, "that we shall always love you."

"We would never abandon you in your hour of need," added Cinderpelt.

"Like I did," mewed Leafpool sadly.

"You followed your heart. That is expected of every Clan cat." And with that, Spottedleaf and Cinderpelt faded away.

Stunned, Leafpool turned back to her Clan. Eyes of every color were round and stupefied.

"Now," Sparrowheart mewed briskly, "where are we going to find that barn?"

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><p>I had a minor chapter title error last time. xD I put the last title as StormClan when this one was StormClan... so I've made the necessary corrections. I hope you enjoyed, and please review~! 3 I love ya'll!<p> 


	8. Chapter 7: Moving On

**DahliaStarr**- Thank you so much for reading~ =3

**Egyptian Warrior**- Thank you so much! I'm flattered! *blush* I was never that fond of Nightcloud, really, but it's probably because my angst at CrowLeaf breaking apart more than the way her character is. xD

**Pale-eye**- I'm very fond of Spottedleaf. =3 I like to incorporate her in as many things as I can.

**Fawneh1359**- Definitely! I love using reader ideas because it's difficult to have a good story using just a single mindset. I like to make things as fresh as possible~

**BrightWatcher**- I feel like I wanted to have StarClan step in for several reasons. One being that I felt that Leafpool was starting to lose her faith that her ancestors were really blessing her decision, and I also wanted StarClan to bless StormClan as a Clan all their own; it makes things a little more official. Plus, now the loners and kittypets have seen their warrior ancestors for themselves, which makes it easier for them to believe and makes things a little smoother.

**Phoenix'sKeeper**- Thanks! I thought about the Cinderpelt aspect for a very long time, but I figured that with Leafpool leaving the Clans, I knew her heart would be torn to shreds, knowing that Cinderpelt was dead and that she had left ThunderClan with no medicine cat. Leafpool still felt incredibly guilty in the third series, but at that time, she was with her Clan, her family. I feel that it would have been so much worse if she was away from them all, and she would have felt so much guiltier for abandoning her Clan. But by having Cinderpelt visit her from StarClan, they both got to have a little bit of closure. It made me happy to write. 3 But yeah, I do wish I could have incorporated the reincarnation into the story somehow, since I adore that aspect of the main series. Perhaps with Cinderpelt training Cinderkit, it'll almost be like she's living through her brother's kit?

**LeafCrow3**- Thank you so much! =3 It's my favorite pairing too~

**Knight Of The Shinning Star**- Thank you! *rolls around the floor with the stars* I knew I wanted to start things off with some new characters, and I'm glad everyone likes them! I have a load of affection for them myself. =3 If you write your own story, please let me know! I'd love to read it! 3

**Faggot4lyfe**- Thank you so much for reading~ =3

**KatieTheDragonRider**- I want some muffins now. xD Though I've been going through a pretzel phase myself recently…

- Thank you so much! =D That makes me so happy~ I've poured a lot into this story, so it makes my day to get such wonderful feedback from readers~ =3

**PeacePinkSeddie**- Thanks for reading! =D I really appreciate it~

**Maxiln997**- Thank you. 3 *feeds chapter to you*

**DoveyGirl 3**- Thank you for reading! I'm exceptionally fond of Feathertail, and sometimes I wish she could have lived just so she could be Leafpool's best friend. xD (Leafpool, Feathertail, and Sorreltail would be awesome together.) But then again, that would have really complicated the whole CrowLeaf aspect, so maybe things worked out for the best.

**Slytherin-gurll**- Yep! I've actually finished the story, but I'm really bad at updating it. o.o

**Cobra1902**- Thank you so much for reading~! =D

I'm a terrible human being, guys. Dx It's taken me nearly a year to update this. ALL OF MY LO SIENTO! I promise to try and be better! I've graduated from high school since the last time I posted~ *pops confetti* College is just around the corner, and it scares me. D= Plus there's been a bit of drama recently, which I hate. Dx And it's bad for my muse. But enough about me for now, here's this long-overdue chapter I've owed you amazing, wonderful, spectacular, sexy people for a looong time now. xD Enjoy, my lovelies~

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Moving On<strong>

Leafpool was dreaming. Two cats sat _outside a small, cozy-looking barn similar to Sparrowheart and Mossflower's old one. Their pelts, black-and-white and light brown tabby, were pressed together, and while Leafpool could see their mouths moving, as though they were speaking to her, she couldn't make out what they were saying._

_At last, the words of the black-and-white cat made sense: _"Leafpool!"

Leafpool jolted awake, her eyes huge and round, when she heard her mate's voice.

Crowfeather was looking at her in concern. "Leafpool, are you all right?"

"Of course I am," mewed Leafpool, stretching and standing up. "I was just dreaming."

Crowfeather looked momentarily relieved, but worry overtook his face so quickly that Leafpool wondered if she'd imagined his consolation. "Mossflower is due to have her kits in a moon. We haven't seen this barn yet, and-"

"We're nearly there," Leafpool meowed with a confidence she didn't feel inwardly.

Crowfeather's whiskers twitched as if he didn't believe her.

Leafpool yawned broadly, overlooking her Clan. Mossflower, her belly round with the kits she carried, was dozing beside Fawnstep and Hollykit. Breezekit and Lionkit were tusseling not far away. Jaykit and Sunpaw were having an apparently hot conversation.

"Crowfeather is a million times better than Sparrowheart," stated Jaykit.

"Yeah right!" snorted Sunpaw.

Sparrowheart, Tawnyblaze, Stormpaw, and Rainpaw were absent from the clearing the traveling cats had found. Leafpool remembered that they were trying to improve the apprentices' hunting skills.

"Once Sparrowheart and the others get back and everyone gets a bite to eat, we'll move on. We're close, I can feel it," Leafpool told her mate.

"We're a bit too deep in Twolegplace for my liking," growled Crowfeather.

"Where better to find a barn?" countered Leafpool.

Crowfeather's ear twitched. "Ravenpaw's barn was a good distance away from Twolegplace, as was Sparrowheart's."

Leafpool frowned. "I know, but I just feel like we're almost there."

"Meaning that this isn't Ravenpaw and Barley we're seeking out?" assumed Crowfeather, his ears flattening with disappointment.

Leafpool suddenly recalled her dream, about the two cats outside the barn. One of the cats had had a black-and-white pelt, so it could have been Barley, but the other cat was light brown, not black like Ravenpaw. She shook her head. "I don't think so."

Crowfeather's eyes narrowed, and he looked into the trees, which were quickly diminishing into the sprawl of Twolegplace. "Let's just hope you're right. Mossflower has to find a safe place to kit."

Sparrowheart and his patrol came in soon after. Each cat had two pieces of fresh-kill swinging from their jaws, except for Rainpaw, who had...

"A pheasant!" squeaked Leafpool, racing over to the hunting patrol. Lionkit and Breezekit broke apart from their tussel to scurry to Rainpaw's side, as did Sunpaw and Jaykit. Soon, the whole Clan was clustered around a very embarrassed Rainpaw.

"I just got lucky," she blustered, scuffling her paws shyly.

"She scented it before any of the rest of us did," Sparrowheart put in. "She was great!"

"Congratulations, Rainpaw," mewed Leafpool warmly. "This along with all the other prey caught will feed the whole Clan!"

The little cat brightened considerably and offered to take her prey to Mossflower.

Once every cat had eaten, Leafpool decided it was time to move on. Soon, StormClan was traveling once more. With Mossflower and the kits surrounded by the warriors and apprentices and Leafpool and Crowfeather in the lead, they covered a good stretch or ground.

The sun was hanging above their heads when Crowfeather came to a complete halt.

Sunpaw run into his mentor from behind. "What's up?" the golden-furred apprentice mewed.

Crowfeather ignored his apprentice and glanced at Leafpool. "I've been this way before," he meowed.

"On the journey to the Sun-Drown-Place?" she asked. Crowfeather nodded.

"Do you remember any barns of importance around here?" asked Tawnyblaze from the back.

Crowfeather shook his head. "No, we kept on the move. We didn't stop very often. But here I remember." The gray-black tomcat flicked his tail toward a fence. "See that there? Squirrelflight got stuck under there. Feath- Feathertail used a dock leaf to flatten her pelt and help her squeeze out, I remember now."

Leafpool tried to act nonchalant when he mentioned Feathertail, but she saw the pure agony that flashed across his face every time he said her name. _StarClan bless him,_ she prayed, all of her sympathy pouring out to him at once.

"Why hello there!"

Leafpool's fur stood on end as a voice meowed from somewhere beyond the fence. She immediately pulled Jaykit and Hollykit close to her, and she noticed that Fawnstep did the same with Lionkit and Breezekit. Sparrowheart and Sunpaw went to stand beside Mossflower, and Tawnyblaze allowed her hackles to rise. Crowfeather called out in a threatening tone, "Who are you? Show yourself!"

A tabby tom emerged from beneath the very spot Squirrelflight had been stuck in all those moons ago, but he was much too skinny to be caught like she had. He was very elderly-looking, his pelt thin and flea-bitten and covered with ticks. Clearly, he was feeling the bane of living as a rogue. "Hey! I know you, you're that Crowpaw fella, whasisname..."

"Purdy?" Crowfeather's fur flattened and his mouth fell open in amazement. "Purdy, what are you doing out here?" He flicked his tail, and the rest of the Clan lowered their hackles and flattened their fur, but they still looked wary.

"I could ask you th'same, Crowpaw," Purdy meowed flippantly, scratching behind his ear with a hind leg.

"I'm a warrior now, my name is Crowfeather," he mewed, his too-thin patience already wearing out.

Purdy looked at him strangely. "Oh yeah, I knew that. And you, you're..." Purdy frowned slightly, looking at Leafpool. "I forgot your name, who are you again?"

"Leafpool," she mewed patiently.

"A'right, Leafpool, but I don't know th'rest of you," he meowed as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Who is this flea bag anyway?" mewed Breezekit loudly.

Leafpool cuffed him with a hiss, about to tell him out for how rude he was (and how much like his father he was turning out to be), when Purdy said, "No, no, don't get all mad at th'younglin', I won't deny I got fleas. M'name's Purdy, by th'way."

"Are you a kittypet?" asked Lionkit, struggling away from Fawnstep to get a look at the stranger. He didn't look disdainful, just curious.

"He doesn't smell like one," commented Jaykit.

"Fawnstep used to be a kittypet, and she doesn't smell like one anymore!" argued Hollykit.

"But that happened a long, long time ago, way before we born!" mewed Breezekit.

Leafpool chuckled.

"No, I don't be a kittypet, I live by m'self," responded Purdy, scratching behind his ear again. "Are ya'll lost or somethin'? Every time Crowwhatsit here came through, he and his friends were always lost, an' I had t'get 'em back on track, y'see."

Crowfeather snorted.

"We're not really lost," meowed Leafpool. "We're just not sure of where we are going."

"Which means you're lost," Purdy mewed truculently. "Don't worry, I know these roads like th'back of me own paw."

Crowfeather found it fitting to snort again.

This time, Purdy seemed to hear him. "Well it's true! Ya'll woulda been lost all those time if'n I hadn't helped ya!"

"Yeah right," muttered Crowfeather.

Leafpool nudged him roughly. "Don't be rude," she muttered to him sharply before saying, "Actually, Purdy, I think you may be able to help us. Do you know of a barn where there are two cats living? A black-and-white cat and a light brown tabby?"

"Hm, barn with a black-n'-white... Yeah! I know just th'place, ain't too far from here."

"Could you show us the way?" asked Tawnyblaze.

"I sure could, I never really gone there m'self, but I do know how t'get there."

"Oh, wonderful," sighed Crowfeather.

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><p>I'm so glad I got to shove Purdy in here, you have no idea. xD Him and his sweet little accent. I'm sorry not a whole lot happened in this chapter to make up for how long it took to get it up, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same~ Review please! =D I love you all~! =3<p> 


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